Pretend That You’re Happy

18+ “Crow”

18+ seem almost a little too cool – the hip-hop minimalism a bit too trendy, the detached and strung-out vibe a bit too affected – but when their shtick works, it really really works. “Crow” sounds like a tougher version of the xx, with the two singers putting up an icy, indifferent front while constantly revealing the vulnerability just under their surfaces. The xx are all about making music that sounds like real intimacy, but this is the sound of two people who are terrified of real connection becoming more intimate than they’re ready to handle. They sound miserable, but sexy.

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